1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a roll forming machine, and more particularly, is directed to an improved mechanism for wrapping twine or the like about a roll formed within the roll forming machine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, the practice of harvesting crop material such as hay or the like by forming it into large rolls through the use of large roll or round balers has become increasingly popular. One type of large round baler forms a swath or windrow of hay into a large cylindrical roll or round bale while the latter is supported on the ground. Another type of large round baler picks up the swath or windrow of hay and forms it into a large round bale off the ground. Both of these types of large round balers generally have mechanisms for applying twine or similar binding material about the bale once it has reached its desired maximum size. The wrapped bale is then discharged from the baler.
Generally, the twine wrapping mechanism employed by these large round balers includes an elongated tube which oscillates in a predetermined path across the bale forming region to dispense twine as the twine is wrapped about the bale. In the past, the twine dispensing mechanisms have been of the type which are manually operated such as the one illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,910,178 or automatically operated by a hydraulic cylinder such as the one illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,913,473.
The manual and the automatic twine wrapping mechanisms each have their own advantages and features. The automatic or hydraulic driven wrapping mechanism, generally more costly then the manual operated mechaisms, is especially suitable to those customers that have tractors with cabs because it is practically impossible to negotiate the controls of a manual wrapping mechanism.
Up to now, the round baler customer had to accept, at the time of purchase of a particular baler, the type of wrapping mechanism that happened to be on the particular baler he purchased and could not choose the type of wrapping mechanism he desired nor did the customer have the option of later changing to some other type of wrapping mechanism for his baler.